Bamboo panel assembly

ABSTRACT

A bamboo panel assembly includes a rectangular open frame member, a plurality of bamboo strips press-fitted into mounting grooves of the rectangular open frame member in a flush manner and kept in parallel, slide rails affixed to the rectangular open frame member on the same plane and kept in parallel for sliding insertion of a sliding container in between each two adjacent slide rails. An outer frame structure may be attached to the rectangular open frame member to construct a screen panel for making a folding partition screen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a panel structure made of bamboo and more particularly, to a bamboo panel assembly, which is suitable for use to construct a storage rack or partition screen.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Wood, plastics, and many other materials are selectively used for making display racks, storage racks or partition screens. In order to show an antique sense of beauty, bamboo or wood material is the best choice for making storage racks. Conventionally, bamboo strips are fastened together by means of a weaving technique to construct a bamboo panel, and then a number of bamboo panels are mounted with frame bars to construct storage racks or other products. However, a woven bamboo panel is flexible, not suitable for constructing a bamboo product that requires high rigidity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a bamboo panel assembly, which has a high rigidity and, is suitable for use to construct a storage rack or partition screen.

To achieve this and other objects of the bamboo panel assembly comprises a bamboo panel. The bamboo panel comprises a rectangular open frame member, bamboo strips, and slide rails. The rectangular open frame member has two opposite first sides and two opposite second sides, a reinforcing rod fixedly connected between the two opposite first sides and equally spaced between the two opposite second sides, and a plurality of mounting grooves transversely formed on the two opposite second sides and the reinforcing rod and aligned in lines. The bamboo strips are press-fitted into the mounting grooves of the rectangular open frame member and kept in flush with the outer surface of the rectangular open frame member in a parallel manner. The slide rails are affixed to the rectangular open frame member on the same plane and kept in parallel for sliding insertion of a sliding container in between each two adjacent slide rails. Further, each slide rail has two mounting blocks disposed at the two distal ends thereof and affixed to the rectangular open frame member.

Further, the slide rails include two lateral slide rails affixed to the two opposite second sides of the rectangular open frame member, and an intermediate slide rail affixed to the reinforcing rod.

The bamboo panel assembly further comprises an outer frame structure fastened to the bamboo panel and surrounding the rectangular open frame member. The frame structure comprises a substantially

-shaped top rail attached to one of the two opposite second sides of the bamboo panel, and two side bars respectively connected to the two distal ends of the

-shaped top rail and respectively attached to the two opposite first sides of the bamboo panel. The

-shaped top rail has a groove in each of two distal ends thereof. Each side bar has a tongue axially extended from its one end and fitted into one groove of the

-shaped top rail, and a longitudinal coupling groove extending lone one lateral side thereof and coupled to one of the two opposite first sides of the rectangular open frame member.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique elevation of a bamboo panel for bamboo panel assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the bamboo panel for bamboo panel assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an oblique elevation of an alternate form of the bamboo panel for bamboo panel assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the bamboo panel shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a bamboo panel assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an application example of the bamboo panel assembly shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 6, showing the sliding container coupled to the slide rails of the bamboo panel assembly.

FIG. 8 shows an intermediate slide rail affixed to the reinforcing rod of the bamboo panel of the bamboo panel assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an alternate form of the bamboo panel assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a folding partition screen constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a display rack constructed according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bamboo panel in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a rectangular open frame member 1 and a plurality of bamboo strips 2. The rectangular open frame member 1 is made by means of fastening a number of bamboo rods into shape, having a reinforcing rod 12 suspending on the middle and fixedly connected between the two opposite long sides of the rectangular open frame member 1 and a plurality of mounting grooves 11 and 121 transversely formed on the two opposite short sides of the rectangular open frame member 1 and the reinforcing rod 12 and aligned in lines. The bamboo strips 2 are press-fitted into the mounting grooves 11 and 121, and kept in flush with the surface of the rectangular open frame member 1 in a parallel manner.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternate form of the bamboo panel in accordance with the present invention. According to this alternate form, the bamboo panel is comprised of a rectangular open frame member 1 and a plurality of bamboo strips 2. The rectangular open frame member 1 is made by means of fastening a number of bamboo rods into shape, having a plurality of mounting grooves 11 and 121 transversely formed on two opposite sides thereof. The bamboo strips 2 are press-fitted into the mounting grooves 11, and kept in flush with the surface of the rectangular open frame member 1 in a parallel manner. Referring to FIG. 5, the bamboo panel may be provided with two slide rails 3. As illustrated, each slide rail 3 has two mounting blocks 31 arranged at the two distal ends. The mounting blocks 31 of the slide rails 3 are respectively affixed to the rectangular open frame member 1 of the bamboo panel. When installed, the slide rails 3 are kept in parallel.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 and FIG. 5 again, a sliding container 4 is inserted into the space beneath the rectangular open frame member 1 of the bamboo panel between the two slide rails 3, and movable in and out of the bamboo panel along the slide rails 3. The sliding container 4 comprises a fabric container body 42 and a rim 41 at the top open side of the fabric container body 42. The fabric container body 42 has pockets 421 inserted upwardly through respective through holes (not shown) in the rim 41, and rod members 43 are respectively inserted through the pockets 421 and stopped at the top side of the rim 41 to secure the fabric container body 42 and the rim 41 together.

Referring to FIG. 8, the bamboo panel has an intermediate slide rail 3A affixed to the rectangular open frame member 1 on the middle between the two lateral slide rails 3 so that two relatively smaller sliding containers 4 are respectively slidably insertable in the two spaces between the two lateral side rails 3 and the two opposite lateral sides of the intermediate slide rail 3A.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the invention can be used for making a partition screen. As illustrated in FIG. 9, an outer frame structure 5 is fastened to the bamboo panel to surround the rectangular open frame member 1 of the bamboo panel, thereby forming a bamboo panel assembly (screen panel). The frame structure 5 comprises a substantially

-shaped top rail 51 attached to one short side of the bamboo panel, and two side bars 52 respectively connected to the two distal ends of the

-shaped top rail 51 and respectively attached to the two long sides of the bamboo panel. The

-shaped top rail 51 has a groove 511 in each of the two distal ends thereof. Each side bar 52 has a tongue 521 axially extended from its one end and fitted into one groove 511 of the

-shaped top rail 51. After insertion of the tongues 521 of the side bars 52 into the grooves 511 of the

-shaped top rail 51, fastening members, for example, nails (not shown) are fastened to the

-shaped top rail 51 and the side bars 52 to affix the

-shaped top rail 51 and the side bars 52 together. Further, each side bar 52 has a longitudinal coupling groove 522 on each of two opposite lateral sides thereof. During installation, the rectangular open frame member 1 of the bamboo panel is inserted into one longitudinal coupling groove 522 of each of the two side bars 52 of the frame structure 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, multiple screen panels thus constructed can be hinged to one another, forming a folding partition screen.

Referring to FIG. 11, a plurality of bamboo panels prepared according to the present invention are horizontally connected between two upright supports 6 at different elevations, thereby constructing a display or storage rack in which sliding containers 4 are selectively slidably attached to the bamboo panels.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. A bamboo panel assembly comprising a bamboo panel, said bamboo panel comprising: a rectangular open frame member, said rectangular open frame member comprising two opposite first sides and two opposite second sides, a reinforcing rod fixedly connected between said two opposite first sides and equally spaced between said two opposite second sides, and a plurality of mounting grooves transversely formed on said two opposite second sides and said reinforcing rod and aligned in lines; a plurality of bamboo strips press-fitted into said mounting grooves of said rectangular open frame member and kept in flush with an outer surface of said rectangular open frame member in a parallel manner; and a plurality of slide rails affixed to said rectangular open frame member on the same plane and kept in parallel for sliding insertion of a sliding container in between each two adjacent slide rails, each said slide rail comprising two mounting blocks disposed at two distal ends thereof and affixed to said rectangular open frame member.
 2. The bamboo panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slide rails include two lateral slide rails affixed to said two opposite second sides of said rectangular open frame member, and an intermediate slide rail affixed to said reinforcing rod.
 3. The bamboo panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an outer frame structure fastened to said bamboo panel and surrounding said rectangular open frame member, said frame structure comprising a substantially

-shaped top rail attached to one of said two opposite second sides of said bamboo panel, and two side bars respectively connected to two distal ends of said

-shaped top rail and respectively attached to said two opposite first sides of said bamboo panel, said

-shaped top rail comprising a groove in each of two distal ends thereof, each said side bar comprising a tongue axially extended from one end thereof and fitted into one groove of said

-shaped top rail, and a longitudinal coupling groove extending lone one lateral side thereof and coupled to one of said two opposite first sides of said rectangular open frame member. 